The subject invention relates, in part, to the field of dog sledding which, in broad terms, is a centuries-old mode of transportation. An example would be the classical arrangement of having a sled-like device pulled by up to four or more sets of dogs, longitudinally spaced apart, with a human driver or operator usually at least sometimes riding on the sled and giving voice commands to a lead dog, to control the direction of travel, as well as starting and stopping. The sled is pulled by a rope called a gang line, one end of which is fastened to the front of the sled. The dogs are connected or tethered by short lines to the gang line at intervals along the gang line with the lead dog being connected to the other end of the line. Generally, eight feet of gang line is required for each set of two dogs. A typical prior art team of eight dogs (four sets of two) would extend approximately 32 feet out in front of a conventional sled. The prior art systems have a host of problems. Lines can get tangled. The dogs may end up fighting one another. The dogs may chew through their lines. In darkness, it may be difficult for the dogs and/or the driver to see the trail. Distractions for the dogs that may be encountered on the trail can end up in disaster, for example, domestic dogs guarding their own territory. A number of prior art arrangements and apparatus are shown in the Black Ice catalog of dog sledding equipment for the 2000-2001 sledding season, a publication of Black Ice, Inc., of New Germany, Minn. In generic terms, the present invention relates to dog sledding, carting, scootering, and skijoring.
The number one problem with dog sledding, carting, scootering, exercising, and skijoring is that, with gang lines, the driver does not have physical control over the direction of the dogs on the trail, or precise placement of the sled on the trail. Problems with gang lines include that the dogs can get entangled in the lines and with each other. The dogs are extended up to 32 feet (with an 8-dog team) out in front of the sled. This, among other things, makes it dangerous to cross public roads on a trail. This arrangement also makes it impossible to have a light out in front of the team when operating at night.
There can be little or no control over dogs that are not well trained when there are distractions on the trail. A rider cannot physically push the dog team past a distraction. It is necessary to have a very well trained lead dog. Voice commands alone are used to steer the lead dog and the dog team; the lead dog may or may not obey the commands. Although the rider can give commands for a general direction, the rider does not have precise control over the placement of the dogs and sled on the trail. Dogsleds are not generally allowed adjacent to cross-country ski trails because the operators cannot guarantee they will not cross the groomed ski trail and ruin it. Even with a well-trained dog team, other dogs, wild animals, and traffic can distract the team and become a safety issue. Also, it is possible for a moving sled to run into the dogs in front of the sled. So-called “weight pulling harnesses” for dogs cannot be used with the conventional gang line tethering.
Prior art lighting for the nighttime navigation of a team and sled consists typically of a headlamp worn by the driver, and blinking lights on the dog collar of the lead dog is sometimes mandatory in some long distance races. This arrangement is not fully satisfactory, especially with an eight-dog team, because the lead dog area receives, typically, inadequate illumination.